Railroad-switch.



T. L. WYATT.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 27, 1m.

1,105,393. Patented July 28,1914;

Witnesses THOMAS L. WYATT, OF LYNCHB'URG, VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-SXVITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914- Application filed October 27, 1913. Serial No. 797,668.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMns L, \VYivr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Railroad-Switch, of which the following is a specification.

The device torn'iing the subject matter of this application is a railroad switch, and the invention aims to provide a device of the type indicated, so constructed that a car coming into the tail of a i from one branch oi the V will automatically set the switch mechanism so that the next car proceeding out of the tail of the V will traverse the other branch of the Y, it being possible to run as many cars as desired, one after an other in the same direction.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being ui'iderstood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope o1? what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure .1 is a plan :1 a track system embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail o1 Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention there are shown three tracks 5, (S, and 7 the tracks 5 and 6 being in alinement, and the track 7 being at an angle to the tracks 5 and (3, although, obviously, either of the tracks 5 and (3 may be in alinement with the track 7 if desired. The tracks 5 and (3 may be taken to represent the branches of a Y, the track 7 representing the shank of the Y.

The track 6 comprises a rail 8 which merges as indicated at 9 into the rail 10 of the track 7. The track 6 further includes a rail terminating adjacent the rail 8 in a fixed switch point 11. Fulcrumed at the other end of the rail i3 is a movable switch point 14:. v This switch point 1% is normally pressed away from the rail 10 and against a stop 15 by means of a spring 16 which, like other springs hereinafter mentioned, may be a resilient block.

The track 5 includes a rail 17 which merges as shown at 18 into the other rail 19 of the track 7. The track 6 includes a rail 20 terminated as indicated at 21. adjacent the rail 18; The track 5 includes a rail 22 terminating, ad aCcnt the rail 19, 111 a fixed switch point 23. The other end of the rail' 22 is provided with a movable switch point 24 constrained against a stop 2.) and away from the rail 17 by a spring 26. The track 6 includes a rail 27 terminated as indicated at 28 adjacent the rail 22. The rail 27 torminatcs at its other end in a movable switch point 29 constrained against a stop 30 and away from the rail 20 by a spring 31.. The track 5 includes a rail 32 terminated at one end in, a movable switch point 32 The track 5 also includes a rail 34. terminated at one end in a fixed switch point 36 disposed adjacent the movable point 2 The rail 34 terminates at its other end in a movable switch point 35 disposed opposite to the movable switch point 33 ot' the rail 32.

The invention includes a base plate 37 upon which a lever 38 is iulcruined as indicated at 39. By means of a link 40, the lever 38 is pivotally connected with the switch point and by means of a link 41 the lever 38 is pivotally connected with the switch point 35, the lever 38 being fulcrumcd upon the base plate 37, intermediate the ends of the lever. The switch point 35 is adapted to cooperate with a stop rail 42 and the switch point 33 is adapted to cooperate with the stop rail 50. Suppose that a car is moving in the direction of the arrow 1 along the track 6. The wheels on one side of the car will traverse the rails 20, 18 and 19, the wheels upon the other side of the car traversing the rails 8, 43, the movable switch point 14 and the rail 10. By this operation, the war will pass onto the track 7. One car after another may be run onto the track 7 in this manner. The next car passing out of the track 7 will follow the direction indicated by the arrow 2. In this connection it will be noted that the car indicated by the arrow 1 will have engaged the switch point 35 and swung the free end thereof toward the left. the link 41, the lever 38 and the link moving the switch point 33 toward the right and against the rail 10. It, now, a car moves in the direction of the arrow 2, the wheels upon one side of this car will. traverse the rail 10, the switch point 33 and the rail 32, the wheels upon the other side of the car traversing the rail 19, the rail 22, the switch point 2 1 and the rail 17, the car in question having thus been deposited on the track 5.

As many cars, one after another as may be desired, may be run in the direction of the arrow 2, off the track 7 onto the track 5, but itwill be noted that as the car enters the track 7 from the track 6, such car will set the switch points 32 and 35 in such a manner that the next car proceeding out of the track 7 will enter the track 5. Suppose, now, that a car moves along the track 5 in the direction indicated by the arrow 3. The,

wheels upon one side of this car will traverse the rail 17 the rail 18 and the rail 19. The wheels upon the other side of the car will traverse a portion of the rail 32, the rail 34:, the movable switch point 35, a portion of the rail 43, the movable switch point 14: and the rail 10. By this operation, the car will have entered the track 7, As the car moves along the rail 34 and engages the movable switch point 35, the free end of the switch point 35 will be moved to the right, and through the instrumentality of the links 41 and 40 and the lever 38, the free end of the switch point 33 will have been moved to the left. As many cars as may be desired may be run, one after another, from the track 5 onto the track 7, but the first car that proceeds from the track 7 onto the track 6, as indicated by the arrow 4, will move as follows: The wheels upon one side of the car will traverse the rails 10, 9 and 8, and the wheels upon the other side of the car will traverse the rail 19, a portion of the rail 22, the rail 27, the movable switch point 29 and the end portion of the rail 20, the car thus moving from the track 7 to the track 6. As many cars as desired may pass from the track 7 onto the track 6, but the next succeeding car which passes from the track 6 onto the track 7 will so dispose the switch points 35 and 33 that the next car,

moving out of the track 7 will be deflected onto the track 5. Since either of the tracks 5 and 6 may be in alinement with the track 7, the tracks 6 and 7 taken together, may be considered as a primary track, the main directing rail. of which is indicated by the elements 3, 9 and 10, the auxiliary directing rail of which is indicated by the rail 43. The track 5 may be taken as a secondary track, the main rail of which is indicated at 32 and the auxiliary directing rail of which is indicated at 34L. These main and auxiliary rails of the secondary track terminate at their inner ends adjacent the intermediate portions of the above described directing rails of the primary track, the switch points at the inner ends of the directing rails of the secondary track being shown at 33 and 35, the lever 33 and the links 40 and a1 constituting means for connecting the switch points 3 3 and 35 for movement one from the other. The switch points 29, 2e and 14 constitute selective switch points cooperating with the outer ends of the auxiliary rails, to direct the possage of a wheel between the main and auxiliary rail of each track.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a pair of merging primary and secondary tracks, each comprising a main directing rail and an auxiliary directing rail, the directing rails of the secondary track terminating at their inner ends adjacent the intermediate portions of the directing rails of the primary tracks; switch points at the inner ends of the main and auxiliary rails of the secondary track and coiiperating with the flange receiving edges of the main and auxiliary rails of the primary tracks; means for connecting the switch points for movement one from the other; and selective switch points cooperating with the outer ends of the auxiliary rails.

2. In a device of the class described, a pair of merging primary and secondary tracks, each comprising a main directing rail and an auxiliary directing rail, the directing rails of the secondary track terminating at their inner ends adjacent the intermediate portions of the directing rails of the primary track; switch points at the inner ends of the main and auxiliary rails of the secondary track and cooperating with the flange receiving edges of the main and auxiliary rails of the primary tracks; a lever; means for supporting the lever intermediate its ends for pivotal movement; and links connecting the ends of the lever with the switch points; and selective switch points cooperating with the outer ends of the auxiliary rails.

ltn testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS L. WYATT.

Witnesses i A. V. THOMAS, M. E. STAPLES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents, Washington, D. C. 

